Infernal Arcadia
by DesideriumOfShadows
Summary: Takes place afer CoHF *SPOILERS IN SUMMARY* What would happen if the heavenly fire didn't work and Sebastian lived? This follows the story of Clary and Sebastian's child. Raised in the mundane world, their daughter lives the life of a regular teenager until an accident occurs and she suddenly finds herself confronted by the Shadow World-and a past she never new she had.
1. White Shadows

** Hey guys, so this is my newest (and second attempt at) fanfiction. I love the TMI series(despite the name of the story, I have not read the Infernal Devices, but I promise, it's at the top of my to-be-read list) and I have had this idea in my head for awhile, and finally I have it posted on here. Please bear with me and any possible errors this may have since I don't have a beta. I don't know exactly how or where this story will go, but just a fair warning, there will be cursing and probably some adult-ish themes. You have been warned, enjoy!**

* * *

High school is stupid.

The classes are pointless and boring, there's drama around every corner, and in the other corners, couples are practically deep-throating each other with their tongues. Oh, and did I mention that I have no friends? As if school isn't boring enough, factor in being friendless and it suddenly becomes ten times worse.

Of course I'm always taunted by the couples and cliques everyday. At least they have someone to talk to. Even the nerds and geeks find people to hang out with. But not me. I'm weird in a bad way, meaning everyone is unsure of me. Even if I am given a rare shot at friendship, my parents chase them away. It's as if they purposely want me to have no life. I am forbidden from joining any clubs, sports or activities. I can't go on any field trips or go to school events like dances or sports games. They keep saying it's for my own good and that they don't want me to end up in their situation-teen parents- but I'm not buying it. Who bans their child from participating in extracurricular activities and discourages making friends? I didn't realize that art club could get me pregnant.

To make matters worse, I have a curfew. It doesn't sound too unreasonable until you find out the hours in which it's effective. From 6pm to 7am, I am not to step foot outside without at least one parent by my side. Overprotective? A little.

I think about all of this as I make my way to the buses waiting in front of the school. Winter break is finally beginning though it's not like I can do anything exciting on my days off from school. At least I don't have to do any homework for the next two weeks.

Once I'm on the bus, I take my seat on an empty bench near the rear. The bus pulls out of the parking lot soon after, and finally I'm on my way home. A light snow has been falling, so there's at least an inch covering the ground and a lot more plowed on the sides of the road.

As I look through the window watching the snow fall, I pick up on bits and pieces of other students' conversations: "...going skiing" and "... hope I ... new phone" or "...best Christmas party ever." The two girls in the seat in front of me are chatting and giggling excitedly about some guy.

_ Why am I not surprised? _I think to myself as I roll my eyes. I'm about to tune them out when I hear one of them mention the bus driver. This part of the conversation confuses me since our bus driver is ancient. It's incredible that he can even get up the steps of the bus, let alone be trusted enough to drive it on public streets while it is full of schoolkids.

When I look to the front of the bus, to my surprise, I see a head of nearly white hair. I must not have noticed the different face when I got on the bus earlier. Their hair is nearly the same, but whoever this substitute driver is has a tinge of bright blonde unlike the old gray-white of the original bus driver..

The bus pulls up to its first stop of the day and five people get up to leave. One down, four more to go until my stop. I lean my head back against the seat and turn toward the window as the bus begins moving again. The snow is falling harder. There's a considerable amount on the road now, but the snow plows predicted this and dumped salt all over the place. My breath fogs up the window, and soon the salted roads and passing scenery are clouded out.

* * *

I'm jolted awake by screaming, screeching, spinning, and countless other painfully loud noises. I didn't realize I drifted off to sleep, but now I'm wide awake. Looking out the window, all I see is the endless white snow before a crash and blinding white light invade my senses. Soon after, I feel a sharp pain in my head and everything turns from white to black.

* * *

Gentle hands probe my head, most likely for injuries, pushing my hair out of the way as they go. In my half-conscious state, a soft moan of pain passes my lips when one of the hands touches a tender spot behind my left ear. The touch sends a burning sensation through my skull like alcohol poured on an open wound, but my body is unresponsive and unable to scream. Soon, the pain dulls as my body is reclaimed into the dark emptiness of unconsciousness.

* * *

The peace of sleep does not last long. My eyes open in a pitch black land of nothingness. After sitting up, I look around frantically in search of something, _anything_, that might shine light on where I am.

A dull glow of orange peeks around a rock a few feet ahead. Carefully, I walk ontop of what feels like sand and small rocks until the source of light is right is front of me. On the back of the rock, a strange symbol (Greek? Egyptian? Russian?) burns brightly, as if on fire. From somewhere nearby, someone screams.

It's a scream of anguish and fear. The kind that pierces through your emotions and sends a wave of fear and adrenaline to every part of your body.

Suddenly, I'm lifted into a strong pair of arms. It is at this point in which I realize that I'm being carried. Not a dream. In real life. I open my eyes slowly. I'm still outside and the freshly fallen white snow blinds me to the point where I have to quickly shut my eyes. That's not the only thing that hurts though. Now that I have partially gained consciousness, I can feel a terrible throbbing in my head and a strange burning sensation on the inner part of my right wrist.

Whoever is carrying me is a guy. That much I can distinguish. The way he pants as he runs and the taught bulge of muscles carrying me as nothing more than a bag of air gives him away. I want to see who it is, but the brightness of the snow and the pounding in my head prohibit me from opening my eyes. I'm not sure what had happened to me, but apparently I hit my head hard because I soon pass out, trusting the person carrying me to get me to safety.

* * *

_What the hell kind of nightmare is this?_

I open my eyes and immediately shut them. There was some kind of deformed human standing over me. It resembled one of the ancient mummies that you see on documentaries about Egypt. The mouth appeared to be stitched shut and the eyes-or where the eyes should have been- were two hollow sockets. The skin was grossly pale and the creature was dressed in a simple parchment-colored robe.

I'm not sure why I'm dreaming of dead Egyptians, though it probably has something to do with the strange symbol on the rock in my dream. Now that I think about it, I remember glimpsing similar symbols on the mummy-thing's robes. I'd rather not look at its deformed face again, but my eyes yearn to see the scrawling lines of the foreign symbols.

Hesitantly, I open my eyes. The humanoid is no longer standing over me, but instead is standing at the foot of the bed. It's still being creepy and staring at me with its empty sockets, but at least it's not as close as before. It's current position gives me a wider perspective of my surroundings. Behind the creature is a long row of beds within a spacious room about the size of a small gymnasium. Everything is a crisp white and blinds my eyes in the same way that a fresh snowfall might. The overwhelming brightness makes me aware of the rhythmic pounding in my head. Closing my eyes dulls it a bit, but not by much.

A door creaks off to the left, so I pry open an eye to see who-or what-it is.

_ Mom? _I think to myself as the worried look of my mother approaches to stand at my bedside. Too many questions are racing through my head, but despite my curiosity, I remain silent to give her the opportunity to explain what happened.

Either she doesn't notice my expecting expression or simply doesn't want to tell me, but my mother doesn't say a word. Instead, she takes my hand that isn't wrapped in gauze and looks at me as she starts to cry.

"Oh baby," Her gaze moves from my left ear where I can feel the injury throbbing down to meet my weary face and then seems to focus on a spot near the base of my throat. This brings on a new wave of tears from her. I give her a questioning look, but she's too busy crying to notice or answer. Warily, I open my mouth in an attempt to speak.

"Mom," My voice sounds foreign and raspy. Maybe I was screaming? "What happened?" This has at least caught her attention. "What are you looking at?"

With a choked back sob, she pulls out a pocket mirror from her snow-flaked coat and opens it. She aims it so that it reflects what is on my chest. Good question. What _is _that on my chest?

* * *

**A/N**

**Well here it is! I hope you liked my attempt at an intro chapter, please leave a review as it will let me know that people actually care enough to leave their thoughts on it. Please no harsh comments, but criticism is definitely okay. I want to improve my writing, and any ideas you have for the story would also be great. Thank you for reading!**

** ~.~Desiderium~.~**


	2. Left in the Dark

**I just wanna say thank you to the couple people that reviewed, followed, and favorited. That gives me hope that people actually like my story and encourages me to write. This means that the more of those I get, the sooner I'll try to update. School/homework is a pain in the rear end, so I haven't had that much time to work on this but I tried. Sorry if you like fanfics that update once a week, but I just never have enough spare time to write, sadly. Oh well, here's the latest chapter and I hope you enjoy it!**

My eyes widen as I recognize a familiar symbol scrawled over my heart. It's the same one that I had seen burned on the rock in my dream. This one is a dark red and looks extremely painful, yet all I feel is a warm throbbing. Gently, I lift my hand to touch it. Similar to the one I had seen on the rock, this symbol looks and feels as if it was branded on my chest. Just as I'm letting my arm fall back onto the bed, I catch sight of something else.

_Another one?_ On the inside of my wrist is a different branded mark, though this one is all black and looks more like a tattoo than a scar. If it weren't for the fact that I was randomly marked with strange symbols twice while I was unconscious, they would actually look pretty cool.

A hand reaches over to hold the branded wrist. I forgot that my mother is still here. Her fingers follow the path that mine took as they trace the black lines over my pulse. I can't handle not knowing what happened, so I ask her for the second time what occurred.

"I want your father to be here before I tell you." She has at least stopped crying, but her cheeks are red and her eyes are puffy. We wait for a few minutes for my father to drive here-wherever _here_ is-from work. The silence is awkward, and my mom continues to wipe her eyes and nose before my dad suddenly throws open the large wooden doors and barges into the room. His eyes immediately move to the red symbol over my heart and then to the one on my wrist which my mother currently holds in a death grip. When he speaks, I can tell that he's greatly upset by this too.

"Jayde, sweetheart," his eyes are so sad, but behind that I can see the anger that he's attempting to hide. Turning to my mom, he asks, "what did he do?" I stare at her eagerly, hoping that she'll be able to alleviate some of my confusion.

She takes a deep breath to suppress any emotions that might sneak into her words and cause her to break down again. "He made both of the runes. I don't know what the one on her chest means, but it's not good." Already, I can see her losing strength as she says this. And who is this "he" that they're talking about? "What are runes"? All of this is confusing me even more, but before I can interject, my mother continues explaining to my father. "I don't know what exactly happened to the bus, but he must have been responsible somehow. He apparently was seen carrying her out of the wreckage and then he marked her with whatever _that_ is-" she gestures to the angry red symbol on my chest "-and then marked her with an _iratze_ to heal her." All of this is hurting my head even more. Vague references to some guy who apparently branded my unconscious body, weird words, wreckage.

Suddenly, I catch brief flashbacks to those moments. The crash, where my head hit the window. The cold air of a winter snowstorm mixing with the hot air of the bus burning. Me being carried by someone and placed in the frozen grass. A burning sensation on my chest and lower arm. Sirens and screaming. So many screams. Did the person who saved me save the few students left on the bus? Somehow, I know that he didn't. My mother's voice soon brings me out of my thoughts.

"Do you remember anything about what happened after you left school, Jayde?" she asks softly. I recount the few things that I remember from the accident. When I get to the part where the stranger saved me but not the other kids, my mother gasps and my father looks furious. She continues asking other questions like "what did he look like?" and "did he say anything to you?" but all I can remember is what I've already told them. Then I realize something.

"Maybe it was the substitute bus driver." Now that I think about it, that would make the most sense. He would be the first adult on the scene of the accident. It's still strange though why he would save me when I sit all the way in the back of the bus. There would have been at least ten people sitting in the rows in front of me and on the right side. Unless the door in the front of the bus was blocked. Maybe the only exit was through the emergency exit in the back.

All of this thinking hurts my already injured head, so I give up on trying to piece together what happened and just let my mother clarify what she knows. I look over to her, indicating that she should continue explaining, but she's looking at me with panic-stricken eyes. She attempts to clear her throat in attempt to get the words out, but my father beats her to it. "What substitute bus driver? What about your normal one?" He now wears the same face of shock and anxiousness.

Calmly, I tell them that we apparently had a different driver today, but that he looked so much like my other one that I didn't realize it until the two girls in front of me pointed it out. My parents ask how I didn't realize that there was another human being in charge of driving me home, but I tell them that I had my head down and assumed it was the same person because of the white hair. This sends both of them into a deafening silence. I look at both of them as they stare at me and then each other with terror. My dad runs a hand through his already tousled black hair and takes a deep breath. Turning around, he calls over the creature who was apparently standing in the corner the whole time. Naturally, my body tenses up. The thing looks like something that crawled out from a catacomb in ancient  
Egypt, and I'd prefer if it kept its distance.

As if it's the most normal thing in the world to talk to something like that, my father says quietly but sternly to it, "I thought you and the other Silent Brothers were able to track him. How could he have gotten so close to her?" They all look at me-even the thing with no eyes-before returning to the conversation. If one could call it that. How do you have a conversation with something that has its mouth stitched shut? As if in answer to my unspoken question, the creature speaks but not in the way normal people talk.

_His presence was never detected by any of our runes, even the ones more powerful than an ordinary tracking rune._ It's mouth doesn't move, yet I hear it speak. But there's no way it spoke in my head. That's impossible. There's no other way to explain it though, unless I imagined it which is highly unlikely since I have no idea what any of that meant. I didn't imagine it, because the creature is speaking again. He must be using powerful demon magic. _None of our runes nor the most powerful warlocks' tracking spells were able to detect him until it was too late._

What the hell is this thing talking about? Runes and Silent Brothers and demons and warlocks. Not to mention I still don't know who this "he" is. Maybe I'm hallucinating. Maybe I'm _dying_. I doubt that immediately though because why would I be imagining something like this? Words I've never heard used in a normal conversation before, terrifying telepathic humanoids, and a mysterious man that saved my life but is also-from what I've inferred-a wanted criminal. My mind may have an imaginative and creative side, but it would never dream up something this unusual.

My mother looks ghastly pale as if she's about to faint. She had asked about how "he" was able to get so close to me, but unless he is a serial killer and wants to keep my head specifically to put in his freezer, I don't understand what the big deal is. Just then, a thought pops into my head.

"Are you thinking that the bus driver crashed the bus on purpose?" I avoid looking at the thing still hovering near the bottom of my bed and instead turn my attention to my stricken parents. They're overprotective in everyday situations, but this accident will bring out their crazed Mama and Papa bear instincts. I probably won't be able to leave the house without being wrapped in bubble wrap and attached to a leash. If my possibilities were limited before, it's going to get ten times worse because I'll be held prisoner in my own house. Before I can tell them that they don't need to worry, my father speaks:

"That's exactly what we're thinking." I can see the pain in his face. Apparently it was hard for him to admit that aloud.

I glance at my mother to get her input on this thought, but her focus is back on the tattoo (rune?) on my wrist.

My entire body is aching, but I've had just about enough of them acting like I'm not laying right here. "What the hell is everyone talking about?" That definitely got their attention. My parents are looking at me with wide eyes. They've never heard me curse before. The creature, as usual, is staring at me with its empty, stoic face. Before any of them can chastise my language, I blurt out more questions. "What are runes?" I face the mummy at the bottom of my bed. "What are you?" I take a gulp of air before asking the biggest question. "And who are you talking about and accusing of trying to kill me?"

No one's expressions change until the creature decides to speak first. I hear its quiet raspy response in my head.

_I am Brother Evander, one of the Silent Brothers. You may consider me as an archivist of the Shadow World. He glances at my parents before returning his eyeless gaze to me. I will allow your parents the chance to explain to you what the Shadow World is. I may be nearly immortal, but I do not have enough time at the moment to tell you all that you would need to know_.

"When do you think she'll be able to leave the infirmary?" My father is the one who speaks next. His eyes move to my head which is still throbbing from my loud outburst. I can feel gauze wrapped tightly around it with extra padding over the injury on my temple.

Brother Evander gives a slight nod. _The iratze has served its purpose to the best of its ability. Her injuries are no longer life threatening although I suggest she spends the night in the infirmary to allow her body more time to heal itself. There will be time tomorrow to show her around the institute and introduce her to the Lightwoods._ He looks at me before continuing. _I suggest that you start training by the end of the week. The sooner you can defend yourself, the better._

Suddenly, my mom finds her voice in a panicked outburst. "Don't overwhelm her! She isn't ready for any sort of training yet. We vowed to protect her from the Shadow World, and now you want to train her to be a contributing part of it?" Her eyes widen at what she's just said. She looks to my father with a pleading expression that says "help me."

My father gives her an apologetic shrug. "She needed to find out eventually."

Mother looks to me and then to Brother Evander. She gives a sigh of defeat before explaining. "Alright, if no one is going to protest against the idea of Jayde training, then I suppose I have to concede." She takes a calming breath and continues. "I don't want her to start training for two weeks though. It'll allow her time to get accustomed to the institute and for her body to fully heal itself."

"I suppose you have a point. She has the same blood as all of us though. It won't take more than a day or two until she's healed..." My father trails off at the end when he notices my mother giving him a glare that means her decision is final. He, too, sighs in defeat.

I hear Brother Evander's raspy voice. _It is settled then. Jayde Fairchild Morgenstern shall begin her training as a Shadowhunter in two weeks time. _

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**Oh snap! What an interesting name Brother Evander addressed her with ;) Anyway, I decided to hurry along this chapter because someone recently favorited it, and I want to let everyone else know that I haven't already given up on this story. Please tell me what you think of this chapter or if you have any questions. If you have any suggestions, just PM me! I'm open to hearing what you guys think! Also, I cannot promise when the next chapter will be posted, but the more positive reviews I get, the more likely it is that I'll get inspiration to finish. Bye for now!**

**~.~Desiderium~.~**


	3. Secrets Unveiled

**I know, I know. I suck at updating. But hey, this is the furthest I've ever gotten on any of my fanfic stories, so that's an accomplishment. Anyways, thank you for the reviews and positive criticism, I truly need it to keep this story going. Hopefully things will start to pick up from here. You're all readers, so I'm sure you know it takes a few boring chapters to introduce everything. Trust me, I'm one of those people that gets bored for the first few chapters. Whatever. Enough babbling. Here's chapter 3!**

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"That's not my name." I say, confused about the strange name Brother Evander addressed me with.

"My name is Jayde Arthor."

I look to my parents with my eyebrows raised to clarify for me, to tell Brother Evander that they gave me that name at birth. They only give each sad looks, and my dad gently nods his head. "She needs to know, darling."

Her eyes are sparkling with unshed tears and she takes a deep breath while wiping at them. "Please understand, Jayde. Before we tell you what you need to know, just realize that we both truly do love you." Despite rubbing her eyes, I notice a teardrop making a shiny wet trail down her cheek. I'm now dreading whatever information they're about to give me.

My mother looks to my father, hoping he'll continue. He takes a deep breath to gather the strength to say whatever comes next. "We're not your biological parents, Jayde."

Oxygen may have ceased to exist, since none of it is able to enter my lungs. It's too much. This is just too much. First the bus accident. Then the dream. Then the absolutely foreign terminology. Now _this_. The only two people in my life who chased everyone else out, using the facade of protective parents as an excuse. It was all a lie. Are they even related to me? I don't know what to believe anymore. So much has happened in such a short time, and now all I want to do is get away. Away from this strange place. Away from the apparently imminent danger. Away from the people who lied to my face for the 16 years that I've called them mom and dad.

Without thinking, I throw the thin white sheets off of me, briefly shocking the two people whom I used to call my parents. My father-or whoever he is-jolts forward to grab me, but I'm too agitated to be caught that easily. I bounce onto the neighboring bed, then roughly drop to the floor before bolting for the large wooden doors. Everything is spinning and it feels as if my head is about to shatter, but I force one of the heavy doors open enough to slip through.

I find myself staring down a long, dimly lit hallway lined with unique tapestries of angels and humans. I don't gaze at them too long though. I hear someone forcing the doors further open, so I give an extra burst of speed to make it down the hall and I turn toward the first side hallway I see. There at the end is what appears to be an elevator shaft. Barely any time passes before I'm shoveing the gate open and throwing myself inside of it. Obviously I didn't think this through.

How the hell does this thing work? I think to myself as I attempt to decode how to get the ancient elevator to move. I don't care if it goes up or down, so long as it goes somewhere. In my panicked state of mind, my eyes failed to notice a few small buttons nestled on the side of the front right panel.

_ This place is ancient, yet there is an almost normal functioning elevator_, I think to myself before hurriedly pressing a random button. It emits a dim blue glow as the cables creak. It's going up. I heave a big sigh of relief that I'll at least have time to find another escape route before they catch up. They'll also have to determine which floor I'm going to be on-if this place is really as large as I imagine. I'm jolted out of my worried thoughts by the jarring motion of the elevator as it stops. I shove the gate open and rush to the first set of steps I see. Unfortunately, these only go up._ Of course they do_, I think to myself angrily.

Not seeing any other choice, I hurry to the staircase and go up the steps two at a time. I'm out of breath by the time I reach the top, but I can't stop to admire the room-or rather, the garden-that I've just entered. I rush through large colorful blooms that smell better than any flower I've ever encountered. I startle a grayish cat who had been only seconds ago lying underneath one of the large leaves. My gaze follows it until it scampers down the staircase that I just used.

I give myself a minute to catch my breath and study my new surroundings. A rainbow of delicate-looking flowers are scattered around the atrium. The winter sunlight is pouring in from walls made almost entirely of glass, causing the dewdrops on their petals to glisten. Taking up most of the space in here and definitely one of the most bizarre plants I've ever seen are large buds-some larger than my fist-sprouting from equally huge dark green leaves. Botany is certainly not my favorite subject in the world, but with colorful blooms like these, I can understand why someone might enjoy it. I'm startled from my flowery thoughts by a loud meow coming from behind me. Turning, I see the same gray cat from a few minutes ago. It stares at me and then looks toward the staircase.

My heart rate picks up again as I hear multiple sets of footsteps climbing up to where I'm currently located. I hadn't seen a suitable hiding spot while surveying the area, so I make a quick decision to slide into damp mulch underneath the large leaves. My body is barely covered by the heavy sloping leaves by the time the group reaches the top of the staircase and steps right into the atrium. I hold my breath as one person after another walks past me. I count four different pairs of shoes. I recognize those that belong to my used-to-be-parents, but I don't know whom the other pairs belong to.

Just when they are all about to leave and I think I've successfully evaded them, the cat walks over to where I'm hidden. It sits down near my face and blocks the fragmented view I have of the people's lower halves. It gives a long meow and flicks its tail, tickling my nose.

Seconds later I hear an unfamiliar man's voice. "I think Church found something." A set of footsteps approaches. They get louder until they are right where the cat had been. Bright light that had been almost completely blocked out by the dark leaves pierces my vision as my cover is blown. It brings back my stabbing headache, and I clutch my head, willing the pain to stop.

Opening my eyes enough to see who had found me, I find myself looking at a man with black hair and bright blue eyes. He can't be more than a few years older than my "parents." His face held signs of stress, but his overall structure hinted at a young athletic build.

I don't know what I should do. Should I attempt to run even with this man towering over me? Could I even do that? Most of the adrenaline that had gotten me thus far had been used up, and now my body feels drained. As I think of any possible way to get out of this situation, the man above seems to scrutinize me for a few seconds before taking a sharp intake of breath. His voice when he responds sounds sickened. Disturbed, even. "Damn. Blond hair. Green eyes. She _is_ that sick bastard's kid."

* * *

** It's not a very long chapter, but I'm hoping that as things start to pick up in the story and hopefully it gets more readers, I'll have more motivation to work on it. I'm also going to try to put myself on a schedule so I'll update every few weeks. Please tell me how often you want me to update and I'll try to meet with your demands. Anyhoo, take a wild guess at who found our main protagonist. Besides Church of course, that little devil. Let me know how you're enjoying/not enjoying the story so far. I shall hopefully give you more content in the upcoming weeks, so Aufwiedersehen for now! (Goodbye, for those who don't know German) ;)**

**~.~Desiderium~.~**


	4. Avenging Angel

**Hello to my followers and hello to my newer readers! As promised, I'm going to try to have a reasonably stable update schedule, and this one is around 3 weeks after the last chapter so I'm pretty proud of that ^.^ (I actually would've updated a few days sooner, but the campground I was at didn't have wifi). Thank you to the two people who reviewed, that means a whole lot more to me than you might think. Enough boring author talk, here's chapter 4!**

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_Excuse me?!_ I think to myself as I'm grabbed by my arm and hauled out of the foliage. This blue-eyed man who has a tight grip on my arm looks at me sharply. Everything about him is neatly kept except: "is that _glitter_ in your hair?" Despite the situation I'm in, I can't help the small giggle that escapes me. My laughing increases when I see his expression change from stern to shocked to embarrassed as he attempts to comb the specks of glitter out with his fingers.

While he's distracted, I yank my arm out of his grasp. I don't bother running toward the staircase. There are too many people ready to catch me if I attempt another escape. Instead, I glance at the other person who ran up here with my "parents" and this blue-eyed man.

Wow.

If I thought the small specks of glitter dusting my captor's hair was odd, the other man is absolutely bizarre. His dark hair is ruffled and nearly blanketed in purple glitter. His almond-shaped eyes are focused not on me, but on the man beside me who is still trying in vain to rid his hair of sparkles. I hear him mumble as he disdains at the purple specks on his hands. "Dammit, Magnus. How did you manage to get this stuff in my hair?" He fixes his gaze on the man standing with my parents, Magnus, I assume.

Magnus gives a sly grin before answering: "Alec, dear, I don't think our guests want to hear the answer to that." _Oh_. I guess that answers the unasked question of their relationship statuses. And sexualities.

As if sensing my thoughts, Magnus looks toward me with the same smirk on his face. "Alec is my boyfriend," he gives his partner an amused look before continuing. "Unlike my homosexual friend here, I like to consider myself a free-wheeling bisexual. I've been around for hundreds of years. One gender can only hold my interest for so long." Am I mistaken, or did he just say hundreds of years? To Alec, he says, "My apologies, dear." Alec acknowledges his boyfriend's confession with a dismissive wave of the hand and an uncomfortable expression.

After a small but awkward silence, my fake mother chirps in. "I suppose there's no longer a need for introductions." She looks at me warily before explaining: "Magnus is a warlock, Jayde." I give her an are-you-kidding-me type of look, but she cuts me off before I can get the actual question out. "This isn't the first actual experience I wanted you to have with the Shadow World, but I trust Magnus to only show you a small amount. You know, just to get you used to magic craft." She looks to Magnus with a cautious expression. The warlock gives an excited nod before raising his hands...

* * *

Magnus did not disappoint.

It was like watching a science fiction movie take place right in front of me. His palms emitted a blue glow, and sparks flew. Literally. Blue bolts sparked from his hands. Then, he changed the appearance of the greenhouse to look like a jungle. Apparently, Magnus does that a lot to his apartment according to Alec. Comparing this to a Las Vegas magic show would be an understatement. And this is only an introduction to the things a warlock can do.

_How have I become so used to this already?_ I think to myself as I watch a blue flame sprout from one of Magnus's palms. The light from the fire reflects in his cat-like eyes that I hadn't noticed when I first saw him. He then had to explain that each warlock has a unique physical characteristic. Apparently there are some that aren't as subtle as cat eyes though. Magnus said he knows of a Warlock with a huge set of stag's antlers on his head.

As I'm pondering all of the possible appearances a warlock might have, I don't notice that a fifth person has joined until everyone becomes eerily silent. I follow their gazes to see a man about the same age as Alec standing at the top of the stairwell. His curly hair is an angelic gold with eyes to match. How can someone be _that_ golden? Maybe he's one of Magnus's warlock friends? Those are some unusual features, especially the eyes which are... staring right at me? His piercing eyes paralyze me and I'm glued to the spot by his dangerous yet apprehensive gaze.

Before my fear of him can grow any larger, my "mother" speaks. "_Jace?_ Why are you here?" She glances at Magnus, who gives a confused shrug and shake of his head. She continues, "An even better question would be, _how _are you here?" Again, she looks at the glittery warlock. Magnus gives a helpless shrug of his shoulders. They both look at the golden man, Jace, clearly waiting for an explanation from him. He gives one last tense glance at me before explaining:

"I had some assistance from the Clave although it took some serious convincing before I was allowed to use the portal. They didn't trust how I'd react once I met _her_," golden eyes lock with my dark green ones again. This time, there's a pained look in them rather than apprehension, but the anger is still there. Jace finishes his story, "they've only allowed me an hour here before I have to return and I'd prefer to go back on my own free will. With any luck, they'll let me visit some time later this week if they trust me enough." He sounds hopeful, but I can hear the sarcasm laced in his voice. Is he being monitored? For what?

Panic grips me briefly as I think back to the conversation in the infirmary. Some sort of psycho is supposedly on the loose, and according to my "parents," wants me in particular. A memory of white-blonde hair startles me, but I instantly calm myself knowing that this man in front of me with golden hair and eyes can't be the same person.

Alec takes a few steps towards Jace. "This might be hard for you, especially if we come face to face with him. Are you sure you're up for it? Helping us track him down?" I can't see his face, but I can hear how worried he is. Whatever they're talking about is obviously not a very pleasant subject for Jace.

The golden man looks at me before answering: "I'm not tracking him down. I'm tracking Clary down. I hate the bastard and want him dead, _damn_ do I want him dead," he cringes, "but I want her back first. I trust Clary's judgement as to what to do with," he turns a pained expression full of hatred towards me, "_that._"

* * *

**Aaaand there it is! So, a lot kinda happened in this chapter. Jace showed up (whoop whoop!) and he's being closely monitored by the Clave. We found the oh-so-sparkly Magnus and his slightly glittery partner Alec. And plans are slowly starting to unfold for them. Let me know how you liked (or didn't like) this chapter; any type of feedback is always appreciated except for rude ones! Like I said last time, I will be attempting a stricter update schedule, so expect ch5 in about 2 weeks. So until next time, peace out!**

** ~.~ Desiderium ~.~**


	5. As it Burns

**I'm gonna keep this short so you can get to the story. Thank you so much to those who reviewed and favorited/followed. Even if they're simple things like "can't wait for the next chapter :)" or anything like that, I appreciate them so much more than you imagine. They encourage me to keep writing. Now, on to the latest chapter!**

* * *

For the second time in the last hour, I'm confused, offended, and at a loss for words. First, Alec calls me some bastard's kid, and now I think this man, Jace, wants me dead. The unfairness of this situation infuriates me, and my temper flares.

"What the hell did I do to deserve any of this?" I burst out. My eyes look at Alec first, then settle on Jace. He seems shocked at my outburst. Good, because I'm not done yet. "I was injured in a bus accident, now it sounds like some guy wants me dead, and no one in this room is stepping up to defend me when these two assholes show up and attack me!" Without thinking, I punch the person closest to me in the stomach, who happens to be Alec, and run to the opposite side of the room.  
I can't escape, but I just need to get some space between me and these people. I don't know who I can trust anymore. Magnus hasn't exactly done anything wrong, but other than his glittery hairstyle and magic tricks, he hasn't done anything to win me over either. Now he's at Alec's side, rubbing his back soothingly while his boyfriend is doubled over in pain. I must have punched him harder than I realized.  
_Serves him right_, I think with a smirk on my face. If only I could've done that to Jace. At least Alec didn't allude to wanting me dead. Name calling, I can forgive, but an indirect death threat is absolutely not ok. I don't know who this Jace guy thinks he is, but I refuse to be unfairly treated. Lucky for him, someone speaks before I have a chance to act on my thoughts.  
"We've been trying for years to find her, Jace." My "mother" pleads. "There's no guarantee that we'll suddenly find Clary. Even if Sebastian is found, he might not have her with him." She gives him a desperate and worried expression. "He's smarter than that, unfortunately." She sighs, defeated.  
"That incestuous spawn of Satan has Clary, and I refuse to go any longer without her!" Jace shouts. That outburst earns a shocked look from everyone. He throws a dirty look in my direction. "I don't know how you people can look at _that_ and not want to throw up. That's _his_ offspring. Even worse, the product of angel- and demon-human hybrids. Does anyone have even the slightest idea of what that results in?" He angrily looks to the people around him, eyebrows raised in question. When no one steps up with a response, he gives a sardonic grin. "Didn't think so."  
There's slight muttering from the people who are now grouped together, but I can't even begin to focus on what they might be saying. Incestuous? Angel and demon hybrids? All of the wary looks they gave me. I don't know exactly how this pertains to me, but now I don't think I want to know. This is too much information. Too much to process. Why did I come up here in the first place? The sunlight pouring in through the large glass panels is suddenly too bright. The leaves and petals of the plants too colorful. My vision becomes spotty and then cuts out entirely. The last thing I'm aware of is my body crashing to the floor.

* * *

I open my eyes and am blinded by the pure white snow around me. _On_ me. I'm in an open field and laying in a few inches of fresh snow. The flakes quickly pile on top of me. I stand up and brush the powder off. I'm wearing the clothes I had worn on the last day of school before the holiday break. Jeans and a navy jacket, now flecked with white snowflakes. I glance around, looking for any signs of life.  
There. A long stretch of road leading toward town. I put my hands inside my jacket pockets and head toward the road. The snow is light and not too deep, so walking through it shouldn't be very difficult. My sneakers scuff the frozen grass underneath the thin layer of powder.  
As I near the side of the roadway, I don't notice my legs sinking deeper into the snow until it's knee-high and I can no longer move. While I busy myself with trying to dig my way out, my ears don't catch at first the screeching of a large vehicle's brakes. It's not until I see a flash of yellow in my peripheral vision that I look up.  
I have just enough time to recognize my school bus skidding along a patch of ice before it rolls down a hill into another field and crashes sideways into a fallen tree.  
The snow is falling harder and my legs are buried again. I can't seem to dig myself out fast enough. Desperately, I shove piles of snow away from me. I need to help them. Through the howling wind of the snowstorm, I can hear students screaming and the crackling of a fire. Everything in my vision is cloaked in white except for my school bus which is a bonfire of red, orange, and yellow flames. My legs refuse to move. I can't save anyone. I have no choice but to stand here and watch as my bus burns.  
From the rear of the bus, I see someone emerge. Two someones actually. The bus driver and... me? He's carrying me. I recognize his white hair and my strawberry blonde head hanging limp in his arms. He rests my body in the snow a safe distance away from the burning vehicle. I can't see what he does next. It looks like he's drawing something on me, but I'm too far away to distinguish what.  
He gets up after finishing marking my skin. Without a second glance at my body or the bus he crashed, the man takes a few steps and seemingly vanishes.  
I try to make my way toward the wreckage, and this time, the snow gives way to my movements. I rush to the other side of the road, but everything is silent. There's no one to save anymore. Rather than attempt to go inside the bus, I walk toward where my body was laid. There on my wrist and chest are two vaguely familiar symbols.

* * *

I wake to an uncomfortably warm pulsing sensation on my upper chest. Opening my eyes, I notice multiple people talking over my body. Everyone except for Jace. Their frantic chorus of voices doesn't help my new headache. I give a small whimper of pain from both the headache and the discomfort of the brand on my chest.  
My hand comes up to gently soothe the agitated area. The instant I feel the raised flesh, a message flashes across my mind.

_He's coming_

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**How about that ending? Sound familiar? ;) Yeah, so I pretty much wrote this entire chapter in one night and it's almost 2 am. I promised two weeks, and I don't break promises. Hope you guys liked this one! I'm trying to push things along so that this story gets more interesting, but I guess background info is important too. Whatever. As always, reviews are VERY much appreciated. Let me know how much you liked (or didn't like) this chapter and what's going through your head after reading it. I gotta get some sleep now. Shadows, out!**

**~.~Desiderium~.~**


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